Creeping-traction mounting for railway-type excavators



Mar. 13, 1923.

1,448,372 S. R. W. M. BAGER ET AL CREEPING TRACTION MOUNTING FOR R ILWAY-TYPE EXCAVATORS Filed Aug. 51, 1921 51 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS.

| l l I I l L Evemte RMLME agar Ut'tu Fliaes E1" 7 Warner Lehman- TORNEY.

Mar. 13, 192 3. 1,448,372

- s. R. w. BAGER\ETAL CREE PING TRACTION MOUNTING FOR RAILWAY TYPE EXCAVA'IORS Filed Aug. 51, 1921 5 sheets-sheet3 n f TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

warren stars earner SVANTE R. W. M. BAGER, OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, OTTO F. KAESER, OF MILWAUKEE,

AND WERNER LEHMAN,

IBUCYRUS COMPANY, OF SOUTH MILW WISCONSIN.

OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS TO AUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF Application filed August 31, 1921. Serial No. 497.20s.

Land excavators in general are divided.

into two types, namely: revolving and railway. In a revolving type excavator, the entire frame, carrying the engine and excavating elements, revolves through 360 on a pivot carried by the traction frame. In a railway type excavator the engine-carrying frame is integral with the traction frame and the excavating elements revolve by themselves through about 180. Revolving type excavators have in the past usually been carried by either railway wheels, traction 'wheels or creeping traction, with growing popularity of the last named. But, prior to our invention, railway type excavators have always been carried on railway wheels,

-no practical means having been devised for placing them on creeping traction.

An obgectof our invention is to provlde a creeping traction mounting which either may be applied in the manufacture of railway type excavators or may equally well be applied for the conversion of those in'the hmen a), carry the short sections ahead and play on-the tracks. The track shiftlng being dependent on the pitmen to be carried out promptly, results in a great loss of time whichis to be avoided.

Therefore, with the above in mind, it is. andthei of the objects of this invention (to provide a creepingtraction mounting the excavator whereby a three whereby the excavator may be advanced while digging away a bank aheadof it without requiring the laying oftracks to thus expeditethe work.

1 In excavators of the class described, it

is highly desirable that the same be capable of conversion into either a railway type excavator or a creeping traction type excavator with a minimum of effort in order to facilitate the transportation of the same. It is, therefore, another object of-this invention to provide means for permitting the ready converting of a railway type excavator into a creeping traction type excavator.

A further object of the herein disclosed invention is to provide what may be termed a combined creeping traction type and railway type excavator whereby the same may be advanced by means of its creeping traction means and be moved rearwardly upon a railway track, which may belaid in the rear thereof, without altering in any manner the creeping traction moi ting whereby time and labor are saved in hifting the ex-' cavator from? an old cut into position for a .newcut. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide a creeping traction mounting for railway type excavators in which the rear,

railway trucks have an endless traction member trained around adjacent truck wheels to afford suitable ground engaging means and at the same time permit the rear truck totrayel over rails without requiring the removal of said endless traction. members, and forward ground engaging means carried by jack arms projected laterally from the excavator frame adjacent the front railroad truck, the lower ground engaging faces of which are on a plane below that of the front truck wheels whereby said wheels will be free from the ground when the excavator is supported by said front traction means and said front traction means will be free of the ground when the wheels of said front truck are engagingrailway tracks.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an arrangement of creeping traction-mountings for the supporting frame .of

v point suspensionthereof is obtained. 1 v

And a still further object of this invention resides in the provision of a creeping changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our invention constructed according to the best mode we have so far devised for the practical applicatlon of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the frame construction of an excavator illustrating our improved form of creeping traction mount- .ing as applied thereto, parts of said frame being .broken away;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the guiding means of the excavator and the manner of drivingly connecting the front tract-ion means with a drive shaft;

Figure 3 is a front end view, partlyin section and partly in elevation, illustrating.

the manner of attaching the front traction means to the bolster frame and the manner of drivingly connecting the front traction means with a suitable drive shaft, and

Figure 4c is 'a detailed view partly in sec.-. tion and partly in elevation taken through Figure 1 on the plane of, line 4 4.

roadly speaking, this invention relates to a creeping traction mounting for a railway type excavator, whichmounting is used to'advance the excavator while digging away the bankahead of it. When the excavator is mounted on railway tracks the rails have to be laid inv short sections ahead of the forward trucks to enable the excavator to move ahead and reach fresh material, 'constantly requiring the services of several pitmen to carry the short sections ahead and lay the track, which results-inia delay of the work. By mounting the excavator on creepmgtraction mountings, the traok does not have to be laid until a long stretch has beencompleted and the-excavatorhas to be moved rearwardly forsome distance to begin a fresh cut.

During the forward movement of theexcavator, a substantially track'is preferably laid down therebehind as fastas it advances,

which track is required as a loading track when the excavator has been moved back and started in the next adjacent'cut. By the use of the track thuslaid, the excavator can be moved backwardsfvery rapidly and is more easily steered and, in order to permit proper. use of the loading track, the railway traction mounting links are notched in the tread surface 'for engaging with a rail if desired. The front traction means are so designed and constructed as to permit the engagement of the forward truck wheels with the rail, and, at the same time, suspend the forward truck free of the ground when the front traction means support the excavator.

It will thus be readily apparent that the excavator can make its way ahead and carry beneath its forward end a standard rail- -way truck which is not in use during the digging operation, but which is ready, immediately the excavator begins to move backward, to run on the previously laid ralls,

carrying the front traction mounting clear of the ground while the shovel is backed up to a new cut. During thisbacking movement, the traction cha-lns need not be removed from the rear truck wheels as notches or grooves in the tread thereof engage the top of the rails and guide, the excavator.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designates the longitudinal beams of an excavator frame which is preferably mounted upon standard railway trucks 6 and 7 connected thereto by standard bolster constructions 8. The forward end of the excavator removed and replaced by arms 9, see Figures 1, 2 and 3, the outer ends of which terminate in journals 10 in which traction mounting frames 11 are pivotally mounted.

The arms 9 are braced against movement either forwardly or rearwardly *by brace arms 12 which extend from the excavator frame to the outer ends of saidfarms.

Each frame 11 has a shaft 13 journaled and in the other end a shaft 15, adjustably j'ournaled to which is'secured a wheel 16, atraction chain 17 formed'of a plurality of connected links being trained about said wheels. The-lower run of. each chain 17 in one end to which is secured a wheel 14,

is braced, intermediate wheels lt and 16, by

wheels 18 journaled inthe frames 11 with,

their lowermost faces substantially on a' plane with'flthe lowermost faces of'wheels 14 and 16, and the tension of the traction chain, 7

may be readily regulated by adjusting shaft, I25

15 through its setting means 19', which in-.-''

'cludes a jack screw carried by the frame and engaging the slidably' mounted hearing; I

blocks of shaft 15. f

Journaled infbearings 20, transversely l 0 the/excavator frame, is a drive shaft 21, th

y sliding one or the other of clutches 22'.

out of engagement, either or both of the chains 17 may be driven. Supported from the excavator frame sides, substantially in alignment with bearings 20, are countershaft supports 23 which carry drive gears 24 in drive connection with wheels 14 of the front traction mountings. Fixed to each shaft 13 is a driven gear 25 with which meshes a driven pinion 26 mounted on a shaft 27 journaled in the frame, said pinion being in approximate alignment with.

the adjacent gear 24.

The gears 24 and 26 have their adjacent facesprovided with sockets 28 and 29, respectively, which are recessed to receive the ad acent end of a coupling drive pin 30. The pin 30 have a pivotal, but non-rotatable, engagement in the recesses of sockets 28 and 29 to provide a universal joint between the adjacent gears 24 and 26. whereby pivotal movement of the frames 11 will not disturb the traction drive connections The shaft 21 derives its power from a suitable engine (not shown) by means of a drive chain 31 trained about a chain sheave 32 -excavator is moved rearwardly' on previously laid rails 34, the, forward traction mountings are suspended clear of the ground,

as'illustrated in Figure 3.

By supporting the forward creeping traction mountings from the jack arm, the necessity of providing braces extended from the sides of the excavator frame is eliminated, as will be apparent.

The rear creeping traction mountings con-- sist of traction chains 35, formed of a plurality of pivotally connected links trained about the adjacent railway wheels 36. The links of chains 35 are formed with central inwardly extending projections 37 which are I channeled, as at 38, to provide a central rest or projection 39 for engagement with the treads of wheels 35 theinflanges 40 engaging in either of the channels 38. .By providing two channels 38, the chains 35 may be readily reversed, as will be obvious.

The links, forming chains 35, have their tread surface longitudinally channeled or grooved, as at 41, to receive the head of the rails 34 whereby theexcavatormay be readily moved backward on the rails without necessitating the removal of chains 35. With this construction the converted rear truck 6 is capable of traveling on the ground or over a track without any alteration what- When the excavator is traveling over the ground the same is preferably steered by the rear truck 6 to which is connected by radial arms 42 a segmental gear 43 slidably mounted within a guide way formed in a bracket member 44 secured to the excavator frame.

Journaled in bracket 44 is a shaft 45 on which is mounted a pinion 46 in mesh with the segmental steering gear 43, said shaft also carrying a worm wheel 47 with which meshes a worm 48 carried by a steering drive shaft 49. The shaft 49 is connected with a suitable driving means (not shown) for controlling the guiding of the excavator as will be readily apparent. When sharp tprns are necessary, one or other of the j aw clutches 22 may be disengaged, thus driving only one creeping tractor chains 17 After the work has been completed and it is. desired to transfer the excavator to some other location at a distant point, the creeping traction mountings are removed and the excavator can then be drawn over the rails at a greater speed. However, when it. is merely desired to shift the position of the excavator to a new cut a half mile or so away, the creeping traction mount'ings'are not removed and the excavator transported on the tracks as before described. By this arrangement greater speed is obtained than that were the excavator transported over the ground on its creeping traction mountings, thus efl'ecting considerable economy in operation. j

With the construction illustrated and described, the machine supporting frame has a three point suspension mounting which is desirable and permits the highest possibledegree of efficiency. While this invention has been illustrated and described as an excavating machine of the railway type, it

will be appreciated that the features thereof are readily applicable to other types of machines. 4

- What is claimed is:

1. The hereindescribed method of handling an excavator, which consists in adsie e vancing the excavator supported entirely by ground engaging creeping traction means,

and in moving the excavator rearwardly by rail engaging means.

2. The hereindescribed method of hanground engaging creeping traction means,

in laying railway tracks in the rear as the excavator advances, and in moving the exca vator rearwardly on'the railway tracks.

3. The hereindescribed method of heniao dling an excavator, which consists in advancing the excavator supported entirely by ground engaging creeping traction means while digging away a bank of material ahead thereof, in laying a substantial track construction behind the excavator as it is advance'd, and in moving the excavator rearwardlyon the track.

I 4. In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means for converting the same into a tractor type excavator and comprising traction links trained around the wheels of one of said trucks, and supporting traction memberspositioned one at each side of the other truck.

5. In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means for converting the same into a tractor type ex- 4 cavator and comprising traction links trained around the wheels of said rear railway" truck, and'creeping type traction members positioned at the sidesof the front railway truck.

6. In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means for converting the same into a tractor type exca vator and comprising traction links'trained around the wheels of said rear railway truck, and creeping type traction members.

positioned at the sides. of the front railway truck, the outer faces of the links trained around the rear truck wheels being grooved I for engagement with a track.

7 In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means for converting the same into a tractorztype excavator and comprising traction links trained around thegwheelsaof said rear railway truck, and creeping type traction members positioned at the sides of the front railway truck, the outer faces of the links trained around therear. truck wheels being grooved, for engagement with a track and the lower run of the front tract-ion members being on a different plane than the lowermostportion.

of the front truck wheels whereby said front truck hangs free when the front traction members support the excavator and said traction members are free of the ground when the front truck wheels engage a track. are a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means. for converting the same into a tractor type. excavator and comprising ground engaging traction meanstrainedi-around the wheels of one of said trucks, supporting traction members positioned at the sides of the othertruck,

and means for moving traction means.

the excavator on said 9. In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, of means for converting the sameinto a tractor type excavator and comprising ground engaging traction'ineans trained around the wheels of one of said trucks, supporting traction 'm'e'm' front and rear railway trucks, means for ing frame, a jack arm projected therefrom,

'me'nt on a horizontal-axis.

bers positioned at the sides of the other I truck, and means-for drivingsaid 'lastmentioned traction members to move'the excavator.

truck, means for moving the excavator, and] means for guiding the excavator.

11. In a'railway type excavator including converting the sameinto a tractor type excavator and comprising ground engaging-traction means trained aroundthe wheels of the rear railway truck, traction members'positioned at the sides of the front railwaytruck, means for moving the excavator, and means connected with said rear railway truck for guiding the excavator.

12. In an excavating machine, a supporting-frame, a jack arm projected therefrom, and creeping traction means mounted on the outer end of the jack arm.

-13. In an excavating machine, a supporting frame, jack arms projected from opposite sides thereof, and creeping traction mean mounted on the outer ends-of thejack means rigidly connecting the jack arm with the supporting frame, and creeping traction.

means pivotally mounted on the outer end -of the jack arm. 1

15-. In an excavating machine, .a support;

means rigidly connecting the jack arm with the supporting frame, creeping traction means, and means pivotally mounting the traction means on the jack arm for move- 16; In an excavating machine, a support- I ing frame,-jack' arms projected from op'posite sides'thereof, brace means rigidly connecting the jackarms with the supporting frame, a traction mounting pivotally secured 115 I on the outer end of each jack arm. and creeping traction means mountings.

17. In avrailway type excavator, of means for converting the same into a'creeping'type 12 excavator and including jack armsprojectedfrom the sides thereof adjacent one of its supporting railway trucks, and traction meansmounted on the outerends of said jack arms, Q v

' 18. In, arailwa'y typel excavator, .of means for converting the same into a creeping type .excavatorand comprising jack.

arms projected from the sides thereof adjacent one .of its" supporting railway 'carried by the traction means being on a plane lower than thatof the tread of th railway truck Wheels whereby said railway truck hangs free When said traction means are in ground engaging position and said traction means hang free when the wheels engage tracks.

19. In a railway type excavator, of means for converting the same into a creeping type excavator and comprising jack arms projected from the sides thereof adjacent one of its supporting railway trucks, traction members mounted on the outer ends of said jack arms, and means for driving said traction members. i

20. In a railway type excavator including railway supporting trucks,-of means for converting the same into a creeping tractor type excavator and including a jack arm projected laterally from the excavator adjacent one truck, a traction.frame carried by the outer end of said jack arm, spaced wheels journaled in said frame, and an endless traction member trained around said wheels.

21. In a railwaytype excavator including railway supporting trucks, of means for.

converting the same into a creeping .tractor type excavator and, including a jack arm pro ected laterally from the excavator ad- .jacent one truck, a traction frame pivotally carried by the outer end of said jack arm,

spaced wheels journaled in said. frame, and

an endless traction member trained around said wheels.

22. In a railway type excavator including railway supporting trucks, of means for converting the same into a creeping tractor type excavator and including a jack arm projected laterally from the excavator adjacent one truck, a traction frame carried by the other end of said jack arm, spaced wheels journaled in said frame, an endless traction member trained around said wheels, and power means for driving said traction member.

23. In'an excavator, a jack arm, a traction frame mounted on the outer end of said jack arm, spaced guide wheels journaled in the opposite ends of said frame, an endless linked traction member trained around said guide wheels, a drive gear connected with one of said wheels, a drive shaft carried by the excavator, and a drive connection between said shaft and said gear for driving said traction member. I

24. A creeping type traction mounting for an excavator comprising a traction frame, means for securing said frame to an said drive shaft with one of said guide wheels and including an excavator carried gear connected with said shaft, a. traction frame carried gear connected with one of said guide wheels, and a substantially universal drive connection between said gears.

25. A creeping type traction mounting for an excavator comprising a traction frame, means for securing said frame to an excavator, spaced guide wheels carried by the frame, a traction tread member trained around said wheels, a tractor carried .drive shaft, and means for drivingly' connecting said drive shaftwith one of said guide wheels and including an excavator carried gear connected With said shaft, a traction frame carried gear connected with one of saidguide wheels, a recessed shoulder formed on each of said gears, and a shaft having its ends pivotally but non-rotatably mounted in the recesses of said gear shoulders to provide a universal drive connection.

26. In a railway type excavator including front and rear railway trucks, means for converting the same, without altering the 28. In a railwayitype excavator, means for converting the same into a creeping type excavator and comprising jack arms projecting from the sides thereof, creeplng traction members mounted on the outer ends of said j ack -arins, and means for driving said traction members.

29. In a railway. type excavator including supporting railway ztrucks, means for con- .verting the same into a creeping type excavator and comprising jack-arms projecting from the sides thereof adj-acent one. of its supporting railway trucks, and creeping traction members mounted on the outer ends of said j ack-arms.

. 30. In a' railway type excavator, Including supporting railwaytrucks, means for converting the same into a creeping type excavator and comprising jack-arms projecting from the sides thereof adjacent one of its supportmg railway trucks, creeping traction members mounted on the outer ends of said jack-arms, and means for driving said traction members.

31. In a, railway type excavator, including "front and rear railway trucks, jack-arms and jacks mounted on the ends thereof, of means for convertingthe same into a creeping traction excavator comprising a creeping traction. truck adapted to be substituted for one railway truck and a creeping traction ing traction excavator, comprising a creeptruck adapted to be substituted. for each I ing traction truck adapted to be substituted for one railway truck, and a jack-arm carryinga creeping tractiontruck adapted to be substituted for each ack-carrying ack-arm.

33. The method of converting a railway type excavator into a creeping traction excav-ator, which consists in substituting a creeping traction truck for the rear railway truck,

in removing the forward railway truck, and

in substituting jack-arm carried creeping traction means for each jack'-car 'ying jackarm.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands at South Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin. N

SVANTE R. W. M; BAGER.

OTTO F. KAESER. WERNER LEHMAN. 

